diff --git a/capability.go b/capability.go
index e7b6857f..eb0dae28 100644
--- a/capability.go
+++ b/capability.go
@@ -857,7 +857,8 @@ func (r Recv) AllocResults(sz ObjectSize) (Struct, error) {
 // Return ends the method call successfully, releasing the arguments.
 func (r Recv) Return() {
 	r.ReleaseArgs()
-	r.Returner.Return(nil)
+	r.Returner.PrepareReturn(nil)
+	r.Returner.Return()
 }
 
 // Reject ends the method call with an error, releasing the arguments.
@@ -866,7 +867,8 @@ func (r Recv) Reject(e error) {
 		panic("Reject(nil)")
 	}
 	r.ReleaseArgs()
-	r.Returner.Return(e)
+	r.Returner.PrepareReturn(e)
+	r.Returner.Return()
 }
 
 // A Returner allocates and sends the results from a received
@@ -879,13 +881,23 @@ type Returner interface {
 	// ReleaseResults is called.
 	AllocResults(sz ObjectSize) (Struct, error)
 
-	// Return resolves the method call successfully if e is nil, or failure
-	// otherwise.  Return must be called once.
+	// PrepareReturn finalizes the return message. The method call will
+	// resolve successfully if e is nil, or otherwise it will return an
+	// exception to the caller.
+	//
+	// PrepareReturn must be called once.
+	//
+	// After PrepareReturn is invoked, no goroutine may modify the message
+	// containing the results.
+	PrepareReturn(e error)
+
+	// Return resolves the method call, using the results finalized in
+	// PrepareReturn. Return must be called once.
 	//
 	// Return must wait for all ongoing pipelined calls to be delivered,
 	// and after it returns, no new calls can be sent to the PipelineCaller
 	// returned from Recv.
-	Return(e error)
+	Return()
 
 	// ReleaseResults relinquishes the caller's access to the message
 	// containing the results; once this is called the message may be
diff --git a/capability_test.go b/capability_test.go
index f6987a4d..dce001d4 100644
--- a/capability_test.go
+++ b/capability_test.go
@@ -306,11 +306,14 @@ func (dr *dummyReturner) AllocResults(sz ObjectSize) (Struct, error) {
 	return dr.s, err
 }
 
-func (dr *dummyReturner) Return(e error) {
-	dr.returned = true
+func (dr *dummyReturner) PrepareReturn(e error) {
 	dr.err = e
 }
 
+func (dr *dummyReturner) Return() {
+	dr.returned = true
+}
+
 func (dr *dummyReturner) ReleaseResults() {
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc/answer.go b/rpc/answer.go
index d8fb8746..c2fe6f16 100644
--- a/rpc/answer.go
+++ b/rpc/answer.go
@@ -180,27 +180,33 @@ func (ans *answer) setBootstrap(c capnp.Client) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Return sends the return message.
-//
-// The caller MUST NOT hold ans.c.lk.
-func (ans *answer) Return(e error) {
+// PrepareReturn implements capnp.Returner.PrepareReturn
+func (ans *answer) PrepareReturn(e error) {
 	rl := &releaseList{}
 	defer rl.Release()
 
-	defer ans.pcalls.Wait()
+	ans.c.withLocked(func(c *lockedConn) {
+		if e == nil {
+			ans.prepareSendReturn(c, rl)
+		} else {
+			ans.prepareSendException(c, rl, e)
+		}
+	})
+}
 
-	if e != nil {
-		ans.c.withLocked(func(c *lockedConn) {
-			ans.sendException(c, rl, e)
-		})
-		ans.c.tasks.Done() // added by handleCall
-		return
-	}
+// Return implements capnp.Returner.Return
+func (ans *answer) Return() {
+	rl := &releaseList{}
+	defer rl.Release()
+	defer ans.pcalls.Wait()
 
 	var err error
-
 	ans.c.withLocked(func(c *lockedConn) {
-		err = ans.sendReturn(c, rl)
+		if ans.err == nil {
+			err = ans.completeSendReturn(c, rl)
+		} else {
+			ans.completeSendException(c, rl)
+		}
 	})
 	ans.c.tasks.Done() // added by handleCall
 
@@ -230,10 +236,12 @@ func (ans *answer) ReleaseResults() {
 //
 // sendReturn MUST NOT be called if sendException was previously called.
 func (ans *answer) sendReturn(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList) error {
-	c.assertIs(ans.c)
+	ans.prepareSendReturn(c, rl)
+	return ans.completeSendReturn(c, rl)
+}
 
-	ans.pcall = nil
-	ans.flags |= resultsReady
+func (ans *answer) prepareSendReturn(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList) {
+	c.assertIs(ans.c)
 
 	var err error
 	ans.exportRefs, err = c.fillPayloadCapTable(ans.results)
@@ -248,8 +256,19 @@ func (ans *answer) sendReturn(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList) error {
 	case <-ans.c.bgctx.Done():
 		// We're not going to send the message after all, so don't forget to release it.
 		ans.msgReleaser.Decr()
+		ans.sendMsg = nil
 	default:
-		fin := ans.flags.Contains(finishReceived)
+	}
+}
+
+func (ans *answer) completeSendReturn(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList) error {
+	c.assertIs(ans.c)
+
+	ans.pcall = nil
+	ans.flags |= resultsReady
+
+	fin := ans.flags.Contains(finishReceived)
+	if ans.sendMsg != nil {
 		if ans.promise != nil {
 			if fin {
 				// Can't use ans.result after a finish, but it's
@@ -263,15 +282,13 @@ func (ans *answer) sendReturn(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList) error {
 			ans.promise = nil
 		}
 		ans.sendMsg()
-		if fin {
-			return ans.destroy(c, rl)
-		}
 	}
+
 	ans.flags |= returnSent
-	if !ans.flags.Contains(finishReceived) {
-		return nil
+	if fin {
+		return ans.destroy(c, rl)
 	}
-	return ans.destroy(c, rl)
+	return nil
 }
 
 // sendException sends an exception on the answer's return message.
@@ -279,16 +296,13 @@ func (ans *answer) sendReturn(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList) error {
 // The caller MUST be holding onto ans.c.lk. sendException MUST NOT
 // be called if sendReturn was previously called.
 func (ans *answer) sendException(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList, ex error) {
-	c.assertIs(ans.c)
+	ans.prepareSendException(c, rl, ex)
+	ans.completeSendException(c, rl)
+}
 
+func (ans *answer) prepareSendException(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList, ex error) {
+	c.assertIs(ans.c)
 	ans.err = ex
-	ans.pcall = nil
-	ans.flags |= resultsReady
-
-	if ans.promise != nil {
-		ans.promise.Reject(ex)
-		ans.promise = nil
-	}
 
 	select {
 	case <-ans.c.bgctx.Done():
@@ -296,15 +310,31 @@ func (ans *answer) sendException(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList, ex error) {
 		// Send exception.
 		if e, err := ans.ret.NewException(); err != nil {
 			ans.c.er.ReportError(exc.WrapError("send exception", err))
+			ans.sendMsg = nil
 		} else {
 			e.SetType(rpccp.Exception_Type(exc.TypeOf(ex)))
 			if err := e.SetReason(ex.Error()); err != nil {
 				ans.c.er.ReportError(exc.WrapError("send exception", err))
-			} else {
-				ans.sendMsg()
+				ans.sendMsg = nil
 			}
 		}
 	}
+}
+
+func (ans *answer) completeSendException(c *lockedConn, rl *releaseList) {
+	c.assertIs(ans.c)
+
+	ex := ans.err
+	ans.pcall = nil
+	ans.flags |= resultsReady
+
+	if ans.promise != nil {
+		ans.promise.Reject(ex)
+		ans.promise = nil
+	}
+	if ans.sendMsg != nil {
+		ans.sendMsg()
+	}
 	ans.flags |= returnSent
 	if ans.flags.Contains(finishReceived) {
 		// destroy will never return an error because sendException does
diff --git a/rpc/import.go b/rpc/import.go
index 37b93673..736183fc 100644
--- a/rpc/import.go
+++ b/rpc/import.go
@@ -193,19 +193,23 @@ func returnAnswer(ret capnp.Returner, ans *capnp.Answer, finish func()) {
 	defer ret.ReleaseResults()
 	result, err := ans.Struct()
 	if err != nil {
-		ret.Return(err)
+		ret.PrepareReturn(err)
+		ret.Return()
 		return
 	}
 	recvResult, err := ret.AllocResults(result.Size())
 	if err != nil {
-		ret.Return(err)
+		ret.PrepareReturn(err)
+		ret.Return()
 		return
 	}
 	if err := recvResult.CopyFrom(result); err != nil {
-		ret.Return(err)
+		ret.PrepareReturn(err)
+		ret.Return()
 		return
 	}
-	ret.Return(nil)
+	ret.PrepareReturn(nil)
+	ret.Return()
 }
 
 func (ic *importClient) Brand() capnp.Brand {
diff --git a/server/answer.go b/server/answer.go
index 763df7ac..1deace10 100644
--- a/server/answer.go
+++ b/server/answer.go
@@ -207,14 +207,20 @@ func (sr *structReturner) AllocResults(sz capnp.ObjectSize) (capnp.Struct, error
 	sr.msg = s.Message()
 	return s, nil
 }
+func (sr *structReturner) PrepareReturn(e error) {
+	sr.mu.Lock()
+	defer sr.mu.Unlock()
+	sr.err = e
+}
 
-func (sr *structReturner) Return(e error) {
+func (sr *structReturner) Return() {
 	sr.mu.Lock()
 	if sr.returned {
 		sr.mu.Unlock()
 		panic("structReturner.Return called twice")
 	}
 	sr.returned = true
+	e := sr.err
 	if e == nil {
 		sr.mu.Unlock()
 		if sr.p != nil {
@@ -222,7 +228,6 @@ func (sr *structReturner) Return(e error) {
 		}
 	} else {
 		sr.result = capnp.Struct{}
-		sr.err = e
 		sr.mu.Unlock()
 		if sr.p != nil {
 			sr.p.Reject(e)
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 5a7b6229..0f29334e 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -216,12 +216,13 @@ func (srv *Server) handleCall(ctx context.Context, c *Call) {
 	err := c.method.Impl(ctx, c)
 
 	c.recv.ReleaseArgs()
-	c.recv.Returner.Return(err)
+	c.recv.Returner.PrepareReturn(err)
 	if err == nil {
 		c.aq.fulfill(c.results)
 	} else {
 		c.aq.reject(err)
 	}
+	c.recv.Returner.Return()
 	c.recv.Returner.ReleaseResults()
 }